


The Immortal's Song

by Muggleishly



Category: The Dark Crystal (1982), The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: Adult Content, F/F, F/M, Smut, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:55:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23256532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Muggleishly/pseuds/Muggleishly
Summary: "There's a place beyond the maps. A place the Skeksis don't know exists.   A place Gelfling will be safe."The words fell out of the girl's mouth and all at once Rian knew what they must do.
Relationships: Amri/Naia (Dark Crystal), Brea/Rek'yr (Dark Crystal), Deet/Rian (Dark Crystal), Gurjin (Dark Crystal)/Original Female Character, Kylan (Dark Crystal)/Original Female Character(s), Onica/Tavra (Dark Crystal)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	The Immortal's Song

  
Chapter 1: The Spriton Girl  


Rian let out a long huff of air as the final branch from twisted thicket gave way. His heart ramming in his chest as he stepped out onto the very edge of the Dark Wood. The sprawling plains laid after; a path of burned carnage in the wake of him. Small bootprints lead the way to the one he had been following for three days.

"Deet." Rian whispered as his eyes gazed at the path ahead. It was unnaturally quiet on the Spriton Plains, and his heart gave a tight squeeze. The trail was short as it stopped some feet ahead of him; a large circle of dead grass seemed to wilt around something.

"Please, Deet… You have to be alright." He breathed as he stepped forward slowly, part of his mind holding on to the hope that he would find her there. His body ached from days of travel and poor sleep, his eyes stinging from unshed tears of grief. Just a little further, just a little more….

Rian picked up his pace as he came closer to the circle but stopped when a giant bird-like creature's head popped up from the wilting grass. His lungs expelled his next breath violently as he watched it duck back down, and a voice cooed to it softly. It sounded like a gelfling, but it wasn't Deet's voice. Reaching for the sword at his side, he pulled it from its sheath and held it steady.

The voice grew louder as he approached the dying area, and he could make out the sound of a young gelfling girl.

"Now, now. Be patience, Mister. The boy will be here soon for the girl."

Rian's forehead wrinkled in confusion at the oddity of the statement. The words not put together quite right for a gelfling. It almost sounded like she wasn't gelfling at all. Peering through the dead weeds, Rian saw a small Spriton girl from the look of her clothing, talking to the large bird-creature. She stroked its golden feathers and nuzzled its large beak as she hummed to herself.

Rian felt himself stop as the animal's head swiveled around to stare at him. One large grey eye blinked at him before it suddenly lumbered forward on its claws. A low rumble came from its chest as the girl remained sitting while Rian stumbled backward on the path.

"Stay… STAY BACK!" He yelped as the beast suddenly charge forward. The girl jumped from her place and gave a tug on the reins around its beak.

"MISTER! No. It's just the boy." The girl said as Mister stopped just inches from Rian. She scolded the monstrous bird that towered over the pair of gelfling. Rian's eyes searched upwards for the very top of its head and found that it must have been taller than even Lore had been. The girl gave another tug on the reins, and Mister followed her with a softer rumble before they both settled back in their spots.

Rian swallowed back the fear that had caused bile to rise in his throat; and shifted his eyes to the girl again. She looked over her shoulder before speaking directly to him.

"Come and sit. Mister will not hurt you."

She spoke the words before she patted an empty place to the right of her. Rian looked at the spot cautiously before walking over to sit next to her silently. Her head turned slowly towards him, and their eyes met, though he found himself looking into milky white eyes that stared at nothing. Her hand thrust out towards him in a friendly gesture, and he took it reluctantly.

"Hello, I am Alida but call me Ida. You must be the boy Mother Augrha said would come." She chirped as they shook hands. Rian's face showed complete puzzlement, though he had quickly come to the conclusion that Ida couldn't see him. Her eyes stared straight forward and didn't connect with his.

"Mother Augrha? She said I would be coming here?" He asked as his lips pressed tightly together. The confusion burned its way into his brow as he tried to decipher what she was telling him. It was like the odd riddles that the Heretic and the Wander spoke.

"Yes, she asked me to meet the girl and the boy from my dreams here." Ida said as she pointed towards her companion asleep on the other side of the small dug-out fire pit. They were wholly obscured from Rian's vision as the cover they slept under was pulled over them. Rian felt his heart ram against his ribcage as he realized who it was.

"Deet? Oh, Deet." He murmured as he suddenly climbed to his feet, the wind from the plains whipping his hair as he stumbled to his knees next to her. His hand outstretched to touch her, but Ida's voice stopped him.

"Your friends is unwell. She must sleep." She warned as she rose to her own feet. Rian moved his hand back and sighed when he focused his eyes on the soft movement of Deet's chest. His fingers peeled back the blanket from her face, and he shuttered; the purple veins still decorated her skin. The violet light pulsating under the surface of it with each breath.

"Oh, Deet. How in the Thra's mercies are we going to fix you?" Rian murmured as the relief of finding her was replaced with the reality of her condiction.

"I will take you and… What was it? Deet to the Valley of the Mystics, and then perhaps we will need to travel to the place beyond the maps." Ida chimed as she dug in the saddlebag on Mister. Its wings flexed as she held up a large plumberry for it to eat. She continued to chatter absolute nonsense while pulling out a bag of rations and more fresh fruit. Rian studied her for a moment, his eyes were drawn to her black hair with streaks of blue and her tan skin. She wore her hair in two twin braids, similar fashion to other Spriton girls he had met.

"Or perhaps, boy. We will need to go to the House of the Old Ones, too. Thra will have its say."

The words made no sense to Rian as he made himself more comfortable by Deet's side. His sword had been placed back in its sheath as he knew Ida meant him no harm. She reminded him of Deet in a way, innocent and confusing. The creature by her side, on the other hand, made Rian nervous, but he trusted, for now, they could get along.

"My name is Rian, by the way. You don't have to call me boy." Rian said as he turned his attention back to Deet. Her eyes were still screwed tightly together as she lay almost unnaturally still; it made his chest ache to see her like that.

"Oh, alright, then Rian. Thra will tell us our path. It will speak to you soon as it has me." Ida said while walking the few short steps towards him. She handed him a piece of rusk and a plumberry before taking her place next to her creature.

"Thank you." Rian murmured softly before devouring the plumberry and rusk in just a few bits. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until the food was in his hands. How many days had it been?

"No need for thanks. It's not much, I am afraid, but I will hunt a nice prairie fowl later. You will need your strength, and so will Deet."

"You can hunt?" Rian blurted out before he could stop himself. The words falling for his lips in an astonished tone. Ida began giggling and pulled her bow and quiver from beside her.

"Well, I suppose that's a valid question. I am blind." She said before giggling again, her face bright and flushed. Rian squeaked an apology, but she shook her head.

"No need for the apology, either. It is an odd thought that a blind thing like me can shoot an arrow, after all." Ida said before taking a bite from her plumberry. Rian made a noise in the back of his throat as though he was clearing it.

"Uh, who taught you to hunt? Your father?" He asked with genuine interest. The company of the strange girl had already grown on him, and he was happy for the distraction.

"My late, Master urVa did. Never knew my parents." Ida answered. Rian could detect the melancholy in her voice, and he felt confused once more.

"The Archer?" He asked, surprised. A Mystic had raised a Gelfling?

"Yes. He was the one that found me after my parents were killed by a skekMal."

This time the words were spat with a bitterness that didn't seem to fit her. She had tucked her legs under her chin and stared at nothing. Rian felt his chest tighten at the mention of the Hunter, and he shivered at the memories that rushed into him.

"The Hunter killed your parents?" He asked in a hushed breath. Ida turned her milky eyes towards him and nodded.

"But no more talk of dark things, Rian. Your friend is waking up."

It was after Ida finished speaking that he felt a hand on his cheek. His head snapped to Deet as she whispered a singular word.

"Rian?"

  



End file.
